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Re: Why is everyone up in arms about rebuilding the defense?

First of all, I'm not upset about the rebuilding the D. It is a dramatic way of doing it, but hey ho. It's for a longer game plan and yes, that may require eating the ball on this season. At the end of the day, the Brady/Peytons are on their way in a year or two - they can dream of playing 'til 40 if they like - and the AFC will really be wide, wide open. Now's a good time to ensure you're top of the pile.

Originally Posted by ballhawk

Anybody think they might be shopping Suggs or Ngata for draft picks? They seem to be in full rebuild mode.

It won't happen. The value they have to us and the cap hit you'd receive wouldn't be worth doing it. You may struggle to get a first rounder for them.

That said, if they both have below-par years next year, their contracts will end up being debated.

People are forgetting that Suggs is still one year off DPOY form, and has a full offseason of recovery and getting into shape, after playing most of the last year anyway. You still got Ngata, you got Webb coming back, and you just signed Chris Canty, you have some cap room to get some role players, and you may sign James Harrison, this along with 12 picks in the draft to work with, the defense could be a lot stronger than you'd think.

Re: Why is everyone up in arms about rebuilding the defense?

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

Adding to the good post by Iscull, here's what I'd do.

S: Sign Kenny Phillips to play FS, and let Ihedigbo and Thompson compete for the starting SS job. Omar Bown will play as the back up FS. Use a 4th round pick on Mathieu (hopefully that's where he'll end up being).

CB: After drafting Mathieu who can play both nickel corner, and free safety, use a 5th round pick on Tharold Simon out of LSU.

ILB: Draft whoever falls to 62 at ILB, that could be Arthur Brown, Kevin Minter, Alec Ogletree (very unlikely he falls this far), Khaseen Greene, Manti Te'o (I'd say unlikely that he falls here, but you never know), and a few others. I'm kind of hoping its Greene or Brown as they would be perfect fits for todays game at LB.

OLB: I'd probably try and get Brandon Jenkins out of FSU in the 3rd round to play as the nickel DE/OLB.

DE: Nothing needed here

NT: If Tavon Austin, a legit OT high on the Ravens board, or a an elite defensive prospect isn't sitting at 32, trade back and take Jesse Williams to compete with Cody.

I like a lot of your suggestions.
1. Although Phillips was just signed by the Eagles, I would like to have a vet FS on the backend.
2. Mathieu is going to be a MAJOR playmaker. If we are re-building this defense, we need someone like him who can really change the momentum. The bonus is that he does it w/out bone-jarring hits which is something the league is trying to move towards.
3. We need a top 5 ILB from the draft along with an FA (Pray for Brad Jones) . I don't trust McClain.
4. Love the Jenkins pick. An athletic speed rusher in the mid-rounds would be a perfect compliment to Upshaw and replacement for Kruger.
5. I agree with the selection of a big DT in this draft. It's a deep class and I bet someone falls to us in the late 2nd/early 3rd.

Re: Why is everyone up in arms about rebuilding the defense?

Originally Posted by Iscull

I like a lot of your suggestions.
1. Although Phillips was just signed by the Eagles, I would like to have a vet FS on the backend.
2. Mathieu is going to be a MAJOR playmaker. If we are re-building this defense, we need someone like him who can really change the momentum. The bonus is that he does it w/out bone-jarring hits which is something the league is trying to move towards.
3. We need a top 5 ILB from the draft along with an FA (Pray for Brad Jones) . I don't trust McClain.
4. Love the Jenkins pick. An athletic speed rusher in the mid-rounds would be a perfect compliment to Upshaw and replacement for Kruger.
5. I agree with the selection of a big DT in this draft. It's a deep class and I bet someone falls to us in the late 2nd/early 3rd.

Re: Why is everyone up in arms about rebuilding the defense?

Originally Posted by Captain Silver

Look, I have kept mum on most of the sky is falling business around here but I am going to break it down.

I will miss Q and any and all of the Ravens who either move on to greener pa$ture$ or are cut by the team. I forgot whom it was that stated the new plan of how the team will build around a franchise QB like New England does, but they were right.

I would like to add to that notion. It has been argued here on another thread that Harrison would be a bad pick up because he is a dirty player. Fair enough. But that type of play, the hitting and trying to dislodge the ball with a "BIG HIT" is going to be going away. Just like the rules have changed from 12 years ago from the Ravens record setting defense, it will evolve in the next 12.

The NFL is fast becoming the arena league. It is all going to become about passing and stopping the pass. WR and DB's are going to be interchangeable pawns with speed. You'll get the occasional anomaly at tight end, but on the whole, there ill be no more "big hits" it is going to become about sure tackling and ripping the ball away from the ball carrier. Hence, players like Pollard are going the way of the dinosaur. Even Ray Lewis is going to be remembered as people think of Butkus and what he got away with decades ago.

The offensive and defensive lines are going to become premium places of cost and action after QB's. This will be one of the last places the game really changes and it will evolve in the way of illegal chop blocks from the o-line and less leeway for defensive line players on hitting the quarterback as is already ever present.

Five yards beyond the line of scrimmage, it is going to turn into almost flag football. Even running back has been devalued over the years. The ability to catch is almost as important as it is to run - Ray Rice/Reggie Bush. This again like the tight end still has a places for players like AP. But overall, this is the progression of the game.

It is my belief, that based upon the evolution of the game, suggestions of the competition committee, the problem with concussions and safty as well as Roger Goodell's comments about making the game safer draw me to this conclusion: Ozzie Newsome thinks along these lines and is building a team to reflect the evolution of the game.

Think outside the box my friends.

I do not remember ever agreeing more.

The Ravens have to rebuild the defense and the roster to have a shot of repeating or improving on the last five years. Our guys got a ring and most of them will get good coin elsewhere. I am very interested to see what happens next, but also am more confident than ever that the team knows what they should do.

Re: Why is everyone up in arms about rebuilding the defense?

Originally Posted by Iscull

I agree with the selection of a big DT in this draft. It's a deep class and I bet someone falls to us in the late 2nd/early 3rd.

I think the Ravens could wait until the 4th or 5th round and end up with one of these guys - all with flaws, but all with upside (that may be the best to hope for in a mid-rounder, and all three are huge):